Engine cowling



July 9, 1946, D s', HESEY 2,403,797

' ENGINE ncowLING Filed May 31, 1940 'sey l ATTQRNEY u mvEN-roR y ozadlye i BY E Patented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE COWLING Donald S. Hersey, West Hartford, Conn., vassignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hart ford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1940, Serial No. 337,955

10 Claims. `l

This invention relates to improvements in means for controlling the supply of cooling air to an enclosed vehicle engine and relatesparticularly to improved cooling air control means for a cowl enclosed aircraft engine.

An object of the invention resides in the pro- Vision of an improved cooling air control means which will maintain at all times' an adequate supply of cooling air to prevent overheating of the engine and will at the same time maintain the engine nacelle at the minimum drag condition consistent with an adequate supply of cooling air.

A somewhat more specic object resides in the provision in combination with an aircraft engine Cowling having a cooling air entrance opening and means for controlling the opening, of means for maintaining the entrance opening at the minimum consistent with an adequate supply of engine coolingair at various aircraft speeds.

Other objects and advantages will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter or vwill becomegapparent as the description proceeds.

Inthe accompanying drawing, in which like reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout, there is illustrated a suitable mechanical embodiment for the purpose of disclosing the invention. The drawing, however, is for the purpose of illustration only-and is not to be taken as limiting or restricting the invention since it will be apparent to those skilledin the art that various changes in the illustrated construction may be resorted to Without in any Way exceeding the scope of the invention.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of .an aircraft engine nacelle having means for controlling the vflow of engine cooling air through .the engine enclosing portion thereof, the rimproved means for actuating the airow control means being shown in dotted lines on this gure.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an .enlarged scale of a portion of the improved 7airiiow control means. k

Fig. 3 is a view ysimilarto Fig. 2 showing a somewhat modified form of airflow control means, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the APitot-static tubes for the control means shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detaiLthe numeral IIJ ,generally indicates an aircraft engine which` may be an air-cooled radial type of engine ASuch as is conventionally employed .for the propulslon of'aircraft. rThis engine is mounted in a-nacelle,

mounted on an aircraft wing, generally indicated yat I4. The engine has a number of cylinders provided with .heat radia-ting surfaces in the form of cooling iins. The invention is not limited to any particular type of engine, however, and could be applied with equal facility to a liquid cooled engine Yhaving Aa heat dissipating radiator.

Inthe varrangement illustrated, the powerplan-t is .of the pusher type and includes an engine driven propeller, generally indicated at I6, mounted at the rear end of the nacelle I2 somewhat to the rear of 'the trailing edge of the wing I4, and connected to the engine by an extension shaft lli which may carry a cooling air fan l2l) and a vibration reducing resilient torque cushion and supportingbearing 22 of some conventional or desired construction.

The nacelle I l2 has threemain portions, namely, a smooth streamlined front end or nose kportion 24 projecting forwardly beyondv the leading edge of the wing I4, an intermediate engine enclosing portion 26, and a ,rear streamlined portion k28 in the form of -a spinner mounted around the hub of the propeller I6.

V.The rear edge of the forward portion, asindicated at 30 is spaced somewhat ahead of the leading edge 32 ofthe intermediate portion 26 land a series of interconnected flap members 34 are pivotally connected to .the edge 30 and arranged to span the gap between the edges 30 and 32. The forward end of the member 26 is preferably somewhat larger than the rearward end of .the .forward .section v24 .in order to. provide an annular air entrance slot at the forward end of the member 26 whichslot is controlled by the flaps 34. .If desired the forward end of the member v26 may be provided with a. rounded or streamlined-bead 36 .to facilitate the entrance of engine cooling air yinto the 'forward end of the intermediatev portion '2 6.

The vforward end of the rear spinner member 28 may be rounded, as indicated at 38, andspaced from the rearward edge 40 of the intermediate portion '26 and the gap between the edge 40 and the .member 28 may be'spanned by a plurality of `interconnected movable flaps 42 hinged ,"tolthe edge 4l).

With this arrangement the cooling air will enter the-.iorwardendsof the intermediate portion 26 through the annular space between the edge 32 and theilaps 34 and will flow rearwardly past the engine I0 and through the fan 20 and out through the space between the naps 4,2 and the .forward por-tion of the V.member 28, the fan a container 68 closed by end Vment, the Space within `responsive device, generally indicated at 90, be-

facilitating the ow of cooling air through the engine enclosure, particularly at low aircraft speeds as during take-off or when the aircraft is taxiing on the ground and acting at al1 times to overcome the resistance to the ow of cooling air through the engine enclosure so that the net resistance to airflow through the enclosure is about the same as the resistance to airflow along the outside of the enclosure.

The position of the flaps 34 is controlled by a suitable power actuated device, such, for example, as the fiuid motor 54, the cylinder of which is pivotally connected to a xed member 46 by the pivots 4B and the piston rod 59 of which is pivotally connected to one of the flaps 34 the interconnection between the flaps being such that when one flap is moved all of the flaps will move simultaneously. The supply of fluid under pressure tothe opposite ends of the motor 44 is controlled by a servo valve, generally indicated at 52, which has a pressure fluid connection 5i and two drain connections ES and 5B and two connelctions 60 and 62 with the respective ends of the motor 44. This valve includes a plunger 64 actuated by an air pressure differential responsive device, such as generally indicated at 65 in Fig. 2, to connect one end or the other, of the motor v4,4 with the pressure line 54 and simultaneously connect the opposite end of the motor with the respective drain channel 56 or 53. The air pressure differential responsive device t5 comprises walls 10 and 12 and divided into two substantially equal chambers 14 and 'a6 by the exible transverse partition 13. A Pitot tube 89, having its open end disposed in the slot between the adjacent edges of the members 24 and 26, leads into the chamber 14 and a similar tube 32, having its open end directed into the airflow along the outside of the member 2S, leads into the chamber 16, any pressure diiferential incident to a diference in velocity of airflow through the cooling air entrance slot and along the outside of the engine cowl will be transmitted by the Pitot tubes 00 and B2 to the respective chambers 14 and 16 and will 'act on the diaphragm 18 to move the diaphragm in one direction or the other. A link 84 is con-- nected to the diaphragm 18 and to the valve plunger 64 to transmit movements of the diaphragm to the valve plunger and is Vsealed to the end walls 10 and 12 by means of the balancing diaphragms 05 and 88.

With this arrangement, any difference in airflow speed through the entrance gap and. along the outside of the cowl willY cause an adjustment of the flaps 34 to change the area of the gap until the two airflow speeds are substantially equalized.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is substantially the same in principle as that illustrated in Fig. 2 and described above but is arranged for greater accuracy of control. In Vthis arrangethe pressure differential tween the end walls 92 and 94, is divided into Vfour Ychambers 96, 90, |90 and |92 by the three transverse diaphragms |04, |05, and |08. The actuating link 84 for the valve plunger 64 eX- tends through the three diaphragms and the two end walls 92 and 94 and the rigid center partition |86 by flexible seals and is rigidly connected to the two flexible working diaphragms |04 and |03. Av Pitot-static tube ||0 has its open end directed into the airflow through the air -en- 'trance gap `and is connected with the chambers somewhat smaller than the tube |4. The inner tube pro-jects into an inlet nozzle H8 having an aperture therethrough of substantially the same size as the bore of the inner tube and constituting an inlet therefor, while the end of the outer tube is sealed against the base of the nozzle and the wall of this tube is provided with one or more apertures, as indicated at |20, for connecting the interior of the tube with the atmosphere surrounding the nozzle end of the tube. The tube H4 terminates somewhat short of the tube I |E and a conduit |22 connects the interior of this outer tube with the chamber 9S while the inner tube ||t` is continued to a connection with the interior of the chamber 98. Similarly the outer or static 4pressure tube |24 of the Ptot static tube H2, is connected through the conduit |26 with the chamber |02l while the inner or velocity tube |28 is lconnected with the chamber |90. Pressures created by airfiow velocities through the air entrance gap and along the exterior of the cowl transmitted through the inner tubes H and |28 to the respective chambers 9i; an |30 act on the flexible diaphragms |04 and tin opposite directions so that a difference in velocity of the two air streams will produce a resultant force on the link 84 tending to move the valve plunger 64 to reposition the ilaps 34 to equalize the velocities. At the same time the static pressures of the two air streams will be transmitted through the outer tubes ||4 Yand |24 to the respective chambers 95 and |02 diaphragms |04 and |08 The static pressures will and will .also act on the in opposite directions.

` produce forces on the respective diaphragms acting in opposition to the forces produced by the pressures in the chambers 98 and |00. As the pressures produced in the chambers 98 and |00 are the result of both static pressure and airflow velocity at the inlet ends of the respective inner tubes ||6 and |28, the subtraction from these forces of the forces due to the static pressure alone gives a resultant that is accurately proportioned to the difference in air flow velocities through the air entrance gap and along the exterior of the cowl.r

As the errors due to diiferences in static pressure are extremely small, the device shown in Fig. 2 would give satisfactory practical results and has the advantage of greater simplicity. The device of Fig. 3, however, will give an extremely sensitive and accurate control where great accuracy is required,

Since a minimum drag condition exists when the velocity of the air flowing into the member 2E is substantially equal to the velocity of the air flowing along the outside of the member, either of the above arrangements/will tend to maintain at all times a minimum drag condition for the airplane, and will automatically adjust the position of the flaps 34 in accordance with conditions of airplane speed and cooling, air require- 'adjustment Pof the aps 34. y The fan `20 may .be assisted by a set of adlthecowhj l While La. particular mechanical arrangement through .the cowl without appreciable resistance and 'the' velocity at the cooling air inlet may :be maintained equal tothe exterior airflow by proper justa-ble rear iiaps,` at 'the cowl outlet opening. A second motor 94, which may be a uid motor similarto the motor 44, may be operatively connected with 'the `rear flaps 42 and may be controlled 'by a lservo-mechanism v94 responsive to some engine -operating condition, such as the temperature ofthe engine cylinder heads. This device 'would vvoperate the ilaps-42 to control the air exit opening 'in -accordance with the spec-ined engine 'operating conditions. Thus, in the arrangement illustrated, if vthe engine cylinder head temperature vshould become too high, the

`motorS4-would act Vto open the -aps 42, Areduce the resistance to the airflow through the vengine enclosure. This would result 'in an increase in the airflow velocity past the tube 80 and create vapressure diierential which would actuate the Ymotor 44 to move the naps 34 to increase the air ventrance opening to the engine enclosure 26. With a given. air exit opening area, as the inlet opening rarea vincreased the velocity of ow through the inlet opening would decrease and a Ybalanced vcondition between the velocities of :dow

along the outside of the engine enclosure and into the engine yenclosure would 4be reestablished iwith an .increased il'ow of Vcooling air, and the minimum .drag vcondition would' be maintained with lan adequate supply of cooling air to Ymaintain the 'engine temperatures at normal ,operating values; If the .cooling air requirements decreased 'a proportionate closing of the naps 34. would `also yequalize the air flow velocities through'the Jinletvgap andv along the .exterior of hasfbeen 'hereinabove described and illustrated k:the accompanying drawing for the purpose of ,disclosing the invention, it is to be understood ythat the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement so described and illustrated, but that such changers in thesize, shape and arrangements of the various parts may be resortedy to as come ywithin the scope of the sub# joined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in thel art may clearly understand the'same, what it is desiredto secureby Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In combination, a 'streamlinedenclosure surrounding a heat radiator and having an air entrance opening and an air exit opening, means for maintaining the drag of said enclosure at a minimum and regulating the quantity of air owing past said heat radiating surfaces comprising, adjustable means at said air entrance opening for varying the area thereofjadjustable means at said air exit opening'forvarying the area thereof, means responsive to the difference in velocity of the air flowing along the` outside of said enclosure near said air entrance opening and the air flowing through said air entrancer 2. Inengine cooling means-including an lopen -ended 'enclosure 'surrounding "the engine vheat radiating surfaces; and adjustable means oper- 'ativelyvassociated with said enclosure at said air entrance opening for varying the area of the air entrance opening of said enclosure, power operated means operatively connected with said area varying means for adjusting the same, and means responsive to difference in velocity of the airow along the exteriorfof said enclosure Vand the airflow through said air entrance openingoperatively connected with said power operated means for varying thev area of said air entrance 'opening in response to a difference in said velocities. I f

3. YIn a vehicle having `an engine provided with heat rdissipating means, la streamlined enclosure surrounding said heatdissipating'means, an lannular cooling air entrance opening in said enclosure, a series of adjustable naps at said air entrance opening for varying the area of said entrance opening, a cooling air exit opening in said enclosure, a series of adjustable flaps'at said rair exit opening for varying the area of said exit opening, means responsive to the difference in the velocity of airflofwalong the outside of said f enclosure and the velocity ofairow through said 'v tially equal, and a streamlined member at the y air entrance ropening and Aoperatively connected with said air entrance opening flap for adjusting said flaps to maintain the velocity of airflow through said air entrance vopening substantially the 'same as the velocity of airflow along the outside'ofv said enclosure, and meansresponsive to an roperating condition of said enginey and operatively connectedwith said air exit opening flap for regulating said naps rto 4proportion the quantity of air flowing through said enclosure `to the cooling Vrequirements of said engine.

4. Cowling and `cooling means for an aircraft 'engine comprising, a cowl portion surrounding Y said engine, a streamlinedV member having a diameter somewhat less than'the diameter of said cowl portion disposed in front of said cowl vportion and vterminating short ofthe forward end of said 'cow'l portion 4'to `provide an annular cooling j lair entrance opening, a series of flaps'at said air entrance opening' for varying the size of said opening, means responsive to the difference between air flowY velocities past` said cowl and through said opening, and means actuated by -said velocity difference responsive means operatively connected with said naps for adjusting said aps to maintain said velocities substanrear end of said cowl portion spaced therefrom A to provide an annular air exit opening.

5. In combination, an enclosure surrounding heat radiating surfaces, and having an air entrance opening and an air exit, means responsive to an operating condition,v such as the temperature, of the heat radiating surfaces operative to regulate the quantity of air passing through said enclosure and through said air entrance opening, adjustablemeans varying the area of said air entrance opening and thus varying the velocity of the air flowing through said opening and means'responsive to a dilerence in the velocity of air flowing along the outside of said enclosure adjacent said'air entrance opening and the air flowing throughsaid air entrance opening for automatically actuating said adjustable means to maintain a predetermined ratio between said two velocities. y. f

6. In combination with an aircraft engine driving a propeller, a streamlined enclosure for said trance opening and an engine, an annular cooling air entrance slot in said enclosure between said engine and the front end of said enclosure, a series of adjustableaps for controlling said air entrance opening,an annular cooling air exit opening in said enclosure air entrance opening operatively associated with said entrance opening flaps to adjust said aps in accordance with differences in said velocities,

Aand mechanism operatively associated with said exit opening flaps and responsive to an operating condition of said engine to adjust said flaps to proportionlthe quantity of air flowing through said enclosure to the cooling requirements of said engine.

'7. In combination with an aircraft engine, a

heat radiator therefor, a streamlined enclosure at a minimum comprising a device responsive to the diiference in velocity of the air flowing along the outside of said enclosure near said one opening and the air flowing lthrough said one opening and operatively associated with said adjustable means to vary the area of said one opening and maintain said velocity difference below a pre- Y determined value.

8. Incombination with an aircraft engine, a

heatr'adiator therefor, a streamlined enclosure surrounding said radiator and having an air enair exit opening for passing cooling air through said enclosure, adjustable means for varying the area of one of said openings, means independent of said adjustable means and including an air pump for proportioning the quantity of cooling air passingthrough said enclosure to the cooling requirements of said heat radiator, and means for maintaining the drag of said enclosure at a minimum comprising a device responsive to the difference in velocity of the air flowing along the outside of said enclosure near said one opening and the air owing through said one opening and operatively associated with said adjustable means to vary the area of said one opening and maintain the velocity of the air iiowing through said opening approximately the same as the velocity of the air flowing along the outside of said enclosure near said opening.

9. In combination with an aircraft engine, a heat radiator therefor, a streamlinedenclosure surrounding said radiator and having an air en.- trance opening and an air exit opening for passing cooling air through said enclosure, adjustable means for controlling the quantity of cooling air passing through said enclosure in accordance with the cooling requirements of said heat radiator, means independent of said adjustable means for controlling the velocity of the air flowing through one oi said openings, and a device responsive to the difference invelocity of the air flowing along the outside of said enclosure near said one opening and the air flowing through said one opening and operatively associated with said velocity controlling means to maintain said velocity difference at a predetermined value at which the drag of said enclosure is a minimum.

10. In combination with an'aircraft engine, a streamlined enclosure surrounding said engine, an opening in said enclosure for transferring air between the airstream passing over said enclosure and the interior of said enclosure, means associated with said engine for regulating the quantity of air passing through said opening, means independent of said quantity regulating means for controlling the velocity of the air passingrthrough said opening, and a device responsive tothe difference in Velocityhof the air flowing along'the outside of said enclosure near said opening and the air flowing through said opening and'operatively associated with, said velocity controlling means to maintain said velocity difference at a predetermined value at which the drag ofl said enclosure is a minimum,

DONALD S. HERSEY. 

